WORK VISA FOR FOREIGN

TEACHERS IN BRAZIL
Working as a foreigner in Brazil requires a work permit and work visa. Find out where and how
to acquire both of them if you're a teacher, researcher and scientist.

In Brazil, Law 6815 of August 19, 1980, provides general standards and guidelines to the legal
status of a foreign individual in the country, including the practice of economic activities.
According to the Ministry of Labor and Employment and the Ministry of Foreign Relations, a
foreigner who decides to work in Brazil needs an authorization in two ways:

an authorization to work

an authorization to stay in Brazil while working

Both types of authorizations are conceded by Brazilian ministries.

| Work Authorization
In order to work in Brazil, the foreigner must acquire a work permit, a document issued by the
Ministry of Labor and Employment. The work authorization for foreigners is temporary and may
last up to 2 years. There are different documents required depending on the area where the
foreigner will work, however for teachers, researchers and scientists, the documents are the
same.
The legal entity interested in hiring a foreigner worker temporarily or permanently must
request a work permit from the CGIg. CGIg is the Coordenao-Geral de Imigrao do Ministrio
do Trabalho e Emprego, which is the Ministry of Work and Employment organization responsible
for foreigners work permits.

| Work Visas in Brazil

Being a mandatory federal authorization, the visa enables the entrance of a foreigner to Brazil
generally for a specific period of time according to the purpose of the travel. To perform teaching
or researching activities in public or private institutions, educational or scientific and
technological research, the individual is required to obtain a work visa. The work visa can be
conceded in two forms:

temporary visa: in case of performing activity for up to two years.

permanent visa: in case of performing activities for more than two years, only for
workers of universities, or research institutes/institutions.

If the work permit was granted to the foreigner, the Ministry of Labor will forward the permit to
the Foreign Relations Ministry, whose responsibility is to contact the Brazilian Embassy who in
turn grants the visa to the worker.

| Documents Required for Both Process

The required documentation for acquiring a work permit and visa for foreign teachers,
researchers and scientists are:

Work permit application form, in Portuguese named Formulrio de

Requerimento de Autorizao de Trabalho.

Legal registration of the company, duly registered in a board of trade or in a

notary office. In case of presenting copies, they must be notarized.

Document of election or nomination of the legal representative of the applicant

institutions, duly registered in a board of trade, or in the
office of the civil clerk or in the Federal Official Gazette.

Copy of the CNPJ's card.

Power of attorney by public instrument or with a notarized signature, only for

cases in which the applicant is represented by an attorney, must be
notarized

GRU proof of payment of the individual tax of immigration for the foreigners
and for each legal dependent (in the cost of BRL 16, 93 by person).

Copy of the identification page of the foreign passport. It must contain the
number, name, birth date, nationality and photography, and it
doesn't need to be notarized.

Proof of minimum qualification.

 Qualification and professional experience, which must be compatible to the
activity that will be performed.

In the case of applying for a temporary visa, its necessary to present the employment
agreement valid for up to two years, duly signed by all parties involved. For a permanent visa, its
necessary to present the employment agreement for an undetermined period, duly registered
by all parts.

GETTING A BRAZILIAN VISA

For the citizens of some countries, coming to Brazil requires the issuance of a visa, what can be
very time-consuming as there is a lot of bureaucracy involved. Brazil applies the reciprocity
policy, so it treats foreign citizens according to how that country treats Brazilians, so citizens
from most western countries - with the exception of the US - are not required to issue a Brazilian
visa when visiting Brazil for less than 90 days. Also, most Brazilian visa options - such as the
tourist one - do not require an invitation from a Brazilian citizen.

| Work Visas
This category comprises any type of service under contract, including scientists, researchers,
technicians and other career or trade professionals who are providing any type of service to the
Brazilian government, a state controlled company or any company or organization operating in
Brazil.

Here is a list of professionals who can apply for a work visa in Brazil :
 Professors, researchers and scientists

Professionals contracted to render technical assistance and/or technology

transfer services

Professionals with the power of management (administrators, managers,

directors or executives)

Professionals working in a position with concomitant managing powers

Foreign citizens representing a foreign financial institution

Foreign artists or sports persons

Professionals working on board of a foreign tourism ship, embarkation or

platform

Professional training for foreign citizens

According to the Ministry of Labor, each group of professionals requires a specific

documentation, but the presentation of the following documents is mandatory to all groups:

Work Permit Application Form

Applicant and Candidate Form

Officially delegated power of attorney, or with a notarized authenticated

signature in the case of a private application, if the applicant is
represent by an attorney

GRU - State Revenue Collection Guide including proof of payment of the

individual immigration tax of BRL 16,93 for the foreign citizen and
each of his/her dependents

Legible non-notarized copy of the foreign passport's identification pages,

containing the number, name, date of birth, nationality and the
photograph.

A visa is not required to travel to Brazil for a stay of up to 90 days within a 180 day period.
Traveler must be in possession of a passport valid for 6 months beyond stay and a round-trip
airline ticket. A visa may be required if trip purpose is other than basic business meetings.

Passport Requirements:

Original, signed passport valid for 6 months beyond stay in Brazil, with at least one blank
visa page available for Brazil visa stamp. Amendment pages in the back of the passport
are not suitable for Brazil visas.

Proof of State Residency:

Clear photocopy of applicant's driver's license or state issued ID. Address on the ID must
match address on the visa application form.

Applicants living in Connecticut and Rhode Island, or Houston or Atlanta jurisdictions:

The drivers license copy must be notarized in the state where it is issued, the notary seal
must be on the same page as the image.

Proof of Travel Arrangements:

Computer generated flight itinerary from the airline, copy of cruise tickets. or a travel
agency or copy of airline ticket showing entry and departure from Brazil.

Medical Requirements:

Yellow fever vaccination certificate if applicant has traveled within the last 90 days to
endemic area.

Register your trip with the US Embassy:

The US State Department strongly encourages American citizens planning international

travel to register with the US Embassy(s) in the countries they plan to visit. For just
$20.00 per traveler, Travisa will complete the State Department Registration for the
applicant. Official notifications about travel advisories and warnings will be sent to the
traveler registered.

| Brazilian work visas for part time, fixed term and

seasonal workers
If youre coming to Brazil on business but don't anticipate being paid by a Brazilian employer
during that time, you can apply for a business visa instead of a work visa. This doesnt require
you to have a Brazilian employment contract and prohibits you working directly for a Brazilian
business while youre there. Its used if youre offering technical assistance through a contractor,
for example.

If youre planning on being in Brazil for only a few months and have a job lined up already then
you can apply for a temporary work permit following the process outlined above.

Another alternative, if you're under 30, and a citizen of an eligible country (currently France
Germany, South Korea and New Zealand), is to get a working holiday visa. This is typically issued
for up to a year and doesn't require employer sponsorship. There are strict conditions on this
visa type though and the intended purpose is for people looking to spend their time in Brazil for
the purpose of tourism. Your embassy can able to tell you if youre eligible for this visa type.

| How might my Brazilian work visa affect my

spouse and family members?

Whether or not you can bring family members to Brazil depends on on the terms of your residency as
well as your work permit. Your local Brazilian embassy will be able to advise you on your options
with this.

As an example, to apply for a family reunification visa as an American citizen, you must be the
spouse or dependant of a permanent resident, and must apply to the embassy closest to your
home. You also need to prove that you have lived in the region of that embassy over the past
year, as well as fulfilling other eligibility criteria and paying a fee.

| I have my Brazilian work visa - what next?

Once you arrive in Brazil you should apply for a Foreigners Identity Card, known as a CIE. To do
this, you must complete the application form and make a payment which can be done at any
bank or post office. You then take the required documents and proof of payment to your local
federal police office to get your card.

The website of the Presidency of Brazil is a good place to look for general information about
settling in Brazil and answers many questions about legal or process matters.

| How can I move money to Brazil from my bank

account abroad?
To get the most of your money in Brazil, you'll want to open a bank account in Brazil, which you
can do before you arrive.

Once you send money either to or from Brazil, consider using a money conversion service like
TransferWise to avoid unfair exchange rates. There's a small transparent fee, and when your
money is converted from one currency to another youll get the real exchange rate - the same
one you can find on Google. Not only that, but TransferWise receives and sends money via local
bank transfers instead of internationally, further saving you money by cutting out hefty
international transfer fees.

TEACHING ENGLISH IN BRAZIL

Despite English being taught at a high school level, most do not learn the language fluently,
therefore there is a need for further English courses.

Aside being the largest country, Brazil is also one of the big business hubs for South America. The
geographical proximity to United States and trade agreement with North America, makes English
mandatory for Brazilians. Therefore, the need for more English courses leads to a demand for
English teachers in Brazil.

| Qualifications
A TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages) or TEFL degree earned from Global
TESOL College gives the teachers hands-on experience to teach in classrooms. The course
provides the teachers with confidence to teach English to students culturally different from their
own. A TESOL degree definitely doubles the chances of securing a placement in some of the best
schools and colleges with a good pay package. With a booming market for English language
teachers, its quite easier to teach English in Braziland stay amidst their culture and heritage.
Brazil offers a lot to do in her vicinity, starting from night life to eco tours, and teaching can open
up a whole new world of exciting opportunities.

However, because of the high demand and low supply of English teachers, plus the perception
that native speakers are better teachers, you dont need much in the way of qualifications in
order to get hired.

Brazil has a high demand for English instruction with such a shortage of teachers to fill the gap
that almost anyone who wants to teach English can find work as an English teacher. In less
competitive cities just the fact that you are a native English speaker is often the only qualification
you need. It may not even be necessary for you to be a native speaker in order to get hired.
| Summary

Requirements:
Global TESOL College Certificate

Monthly Salary:
1,500-2,500 BRL

Typical Contract:
One year

High Hiring Season:

January

Teaching Hours/Week:
25

Private Tutoring:
25-40 BRL /hr

Accommodations:
Employer assisted

Airfare:
Not included

Health Care:
Usually included
Holidays:
Paid

Visa:
Employer assisted

Income Tax:
27.5 %

| Compared to Philippines

Brazil Philippines
Average Salary (PHP) per month 24,608 16,729

| Compared to a Salary Presumption

Given a 4$ salary per hour

Brazil (4$/h) Philippines (Average

Monthly Salary 20,515 Salary)
16,729

| References
http://www.thebrazilbusiness.com
http://www.braziliangringo.com
http://www.indeed.com
http://www.payscale.com
http://www.globaltelso.com